Facing the Future
by Beth C
Summary: Bo visits Doc Applebee and gets a diagnosis that he doesn’t really like. Then disaster strikes. What does the future really hold for poor allergy-ridden Bo? This is the fourth installment in the Bo’s Allergy Series. WIP -NOW UPDATED TO CHAP 12!
1. Default Chapter

**Facing the Future**

_-by Beth C_

Summary: Bo visits Doc Applebee and gets a diagnosis that he doesn't really like. Then disaster strikes. What does the future really hold for poor allergy-ridden Bo? This is the fourth installment in the Bo's Allergy Series.

Rating: PG

Feedback: Yes, Please. 

Disclaimer: Not mine, sure wish Bo was though. They belong to WB, I'm pretty sure.

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"I'm sorry, Bo." The apology was short and curt. Dr. Applebee let his sad eyes travel over his young patient. He had watched this one grow since he had been a wee lad, and it always been a struggle. At one point, Bo's allergies had all but vanished, and the good country doctor had thought the boy had finally outgrown them. It did happen sometimes.

He placed the stethoscope down on the counter next to his jar of tongue depressors and the blood pressure cuff. "If those prescriptions didn't help, there really isn't much else we can do." He nodded towards the young man that it was okay to get dressed again. He then picked up the chart labeled 'Beauregard Duke' and made a few notes before placing it back down.

Bo pulled his light blue T-shirt over his head and down, messing up his already untidy blond locks that were way beyond needing a trim. He stuck his hands in the holes and then pulled the shirt down. Reaching up, he smoothed the wayward tresses until he was partially presentable. Presentable enough as he could be sitting on an exam table with watery eyes and a runny nose. He sniffed once and ran the back of his hand under his nose. He trusted Dr. Applebee's opinion as the man had been there for every one of Bo's many scrapes, bumps and bruises. "What do you mean by that?"

He sniffed again and felt his breath catch in his chest as the all too familiar feeling of a building sneeze overtook him. His eyes squeezed closed as he raised a fist and ducked his head down towards the floor. "_Eh-he EhhShooo!_" He took a quick breath and sneezed again. "_EKKT-Shhhh!_" He sniffed sharply to stop any more sneezes from coming and looked back up to where the doctor was standing. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life sneezing like this."

"Bless you, Bo." Dr. Applebee said as he reached over and picked up the tissue box that he kept on the counter. He passed it over to Bo, and waited for the young man to take a few of them to wipe off his hand and his still running nose. He then returned the box back to its customary place.

The elder man then placed his hands in the pockets of the lab coat he was wearing and took a couple of steps towards the door then turned and came back. He did have one option open to him, but he was reluctant to suggest it and raise the boy's hopes. Even at 19, Bo still seemed young enough that dashing his hopes was almost certainly going to be the result. He sighed and looked up to where Bo was waiting. "Well, there is one form of treatment we can try, but I'm a bit hesitant to suggest it, and I'm not sure you will even like it."

Bo pressed the tissues tightly against his nose and tried to fight the next oncoming sneeze. Unfortunately, he didn't win. His eyes closed again in anticipation as he gave up and released the sneeze into the slightly soggy tissues. "_HahChuhhhh!_" He sniffed again then wiped his nose and sighed. "Anything has to be better than this."

The doctor nodded. "Well, we can try to desensitize you, Bo." At the look of incomprehension on Bo's face, he tried to explain. "Desensitizing is a two step process. The first step is injections and the second step is exposure. The injections are done in your upper arm, and you are given doses of whatever you are allergic to in order to make your body learn to accept them as normal and reduce your allergic reactions to them." He walked over and placed one hand on Bo's arm and lifted the sleeve a bit. "You would be injected right about here." He pointed towards a spot in the inside of the upper arm. "However it's not without risks, as some people have bad reactions from the shots, ranging from hives, to rashes, even anaphylactic shock to the first dose which is known as the boosting dose." He let go of Bo's arm and placed his hand back into his pocket. "You would have to come to me twice a week for the shots."

Bo looked from his arm to the doctor, then wiped his running nose again. "Twice a week? For how long?"

Dr. Applebee shrugged. "Six months or more. It all depends on how many things you are allergic to, because we have to desensitize you to each one."

Bo felt his heart sink. "Shoot, that's just about everything. From pollen, dust, and fragrances, to animal hair and feathers." He sighed miserably. "Even grass gets to me." He crumpled the well used tissues into a ball then dropped them into the wastebasket at the foot of the table. "Ain't there anything else you can do?"

The elder man shook his head as he watched the crestfallen boy. It was exactly this reaction that he had been trying to avoid. "Not, really, Bo. Allergies are very limited with treatments. Which is why so many people have them."

"Well, dang it, Uncle Jessie can't afford that." Bo now picked up his faded yellow shirt and put it on over the T-shirt, buttoning it up slowly.

"I understand, Bo. That's one reason people learn to live with them rather than pursue the treatments that are available. Mostly they can be time consuming and very expensive with only minimal results. Even with the 'desensitizing' process, people can still remain allergic to certain items." Dr. Applebee explained while stepping back to the counter and picking up the box of tissues again, seeing the pre-sneeze expression crossing Bo's face. He passed it over to the boy.

Bo managed to grab two tissues and bring them to his face just in time. "_HahChuhhh! Ehh-KEHHTchhh! Heh-EKKT-chooo!_" The sneezes burst out of him harshly and made his head ache. He wiped at his nose and took another tissue to dry his streaming eyes.

"Bless you," Dr Applebee said and pulled two more tissues from the box. He placed them in Bo's hands after the boy had tossed his used ones away. "Give your nose a good blow and it should help you some."

"Thanks," Bo said, both for the blessing and the tissues which he promptly put to good use. After blowing, he did feel the need to sneeze lessen. "So what advice can you give me, Doc?"

Dr. Applebee picked up Bo's chart and read it over quickly before giving his answer. "The best advice I can give you is to try to avoid the allergens if at all possible. I know it's hard, especially with you living on a farm, Bo, but try the best you can. Always keep aware of what is around you, and if there is anything you are allergic to, try to keep a safe distance from it. The closer you are the more exposed you will be. Also, drink lots of fluids to keep you hydrated." He stopped his speech to smile slightly. "I don't mean beer either, young man. All the sneezing you do, does drain your body of fluids and beer is not a good replacement for them." His eyes twinkled slightly knowing that Bo, like any other farm boy, loved a good drink at the Boars Nest after a long day.

"I also want you to check back with me if you experience any really bad attacks. Some allergies can develop into asthma, so keep that in mind." The doctor then sighed and patted Bo on the shoulder. "I know these aren't the answers you wanted to hear. I've known you just about all your life, Beauregard Duke, and I know you want this to just go away." He caught the blue eyes of his patient with his own bespectacled ones. He paused before continuing. "Don't be shy to pick up the phone and call me if you have any questions, no matter how silly or stupid they may seem to you. Your allergies are different now than when you were a child. The only stupid questions are unasked ones."

The edges of Bo's mouth quirked up in a slight smile. It was as if the doctor was reading his mind. "All right, I'll do that." He tossed the crumpled tissues into the pail.

Dr. Applebee returned the smile. "Good. I'm glad to hear it." He patted Bo one last time then turned and picked up the chart. "Take care, Bo."

Bo watched him leave, and called out to his retreating back. "Thanks, Doc." He then took a deep breath of air and closed his eyes. He let it out slowly and released his frustration of his allergies with it. After a moment when he felt calmer, he got up off the table and left the office to return to the farm.

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	2. Going Home

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Bo pulled the pickup truck in the driveway and parked it behind the General Lee. Compared to the bright orange stock car, Jessie's pickup truck looked tattered and worn. However it was a reliable vehicle and that was one reason Jessie had let him take it today. There was no need for them all to go to Doc Applebee's office, as it was in town, and not far away like the Atlanta physician had been.

Bo got out of the truck, almost using the window out of habit, and walked over to where he saw a pair of blue-jean clad legs attached to a torso that was busy under the hood of the General. He gave the rear-end a slight slap and the body attached to it jumped and the head popped up to smile at him.

"Hey, Cuz," Luke greeted. His hands were deep in the engine tightening something and he bit his lip between his upper and lower teeth as he put all his muscle into the task.

Bo joined him on the other side of the car and tried to figure out just what he was doing this time. He traced the direction of the hands and grinned. "Manifold?" he asked.

"Yup." Luke agreed. "How did the doctor's visit go?" He finished up one bolt and began on the next one.

Bo's happy mood vanished like a wisp of steam. He stared at the engine and considered not answering. Then he looked up to the boy he had grown up with, the one he thought should have been his brother, rather than his cousin. The dark disheveled head was now watching him and waiting for an answer. He sighed. "Well, it didn't go the way I wanted it to."

Luke pulled the wrench he had been using out of the engine and laid it on the edge of the car. He took a good look at his cousin and noticed the reddened eyes, and the general puffiness of his face. Either Bo had been crying, which was rare, or he had been suffering again from the allergies. He guessed it was more likely the second rather than the first, as the air today was ripe with pollen and Bo had already spend a considerable amount of time outside. "You okay? Want to talk about it?" His tone was soft and inviting, the same one he used whenever he found Bo upset about something.

"Not really, no." Bo replied and picked up a nearby rag and tossed it to Luke who caught it with one greasy hand. "But I know I'm gonna have to tell Jessie, so you might as well follow me and this way I'll only have to tell it once. Is he in the barn or the house?"

Luke wiped the grease from his fingers and pointed towards the house. "He's inside, getting some things together for the charity tag sale at the church."

Bo nodded and turned away from the General, sniffing and wiping his still runny nose on his shirtsleeve. He had been feeling miserable since he left the house this morning, and staying outside wasn't making him feel any better. A breeze blew across the land and he groaned knowing what was coming next. The house was a mere 25 feet from the driveway, but it might as well have been a football field away as the air tortured his already aching sinuses. The farm normally carried many smells, from the animals to the grass he had just cut yesterday morning, all the dang trees, and assorted pollens from Mother Nature.

He wrinkled his nose and tried to suppress the coming sneezes as he crossed the short distance to the door. He made it to the threshold and reached for the knob just as his willpower gave out on him and his body demanded that he sneeze _now_. He turned slightly away and pulled his hand away from the knob to cover his nose and mouth as the urge intensified. His body tensed up and his eyes closed as he broke down and sneezed. "_Hah-Chuhhh!!_" He bent over slightly from the force of it. His eyes remained closed as he realized that was just the first of many sneezes to come. "_Heh-KESHhhh! Heh-eh-KESHooo!!_"

Luke had been just behind his cousin and he now began rubbing the hunched over back with one hand while reaching into the back pocket of his jeans to pull out his blue bandana. He shook it open with a swift movement and stuffed it into the hands of his still sneezing cousin. From the way Bo was panting, Luke figured this was going to be one of the bigger fits. "Take it easy, Cuz," he soothed while continuing to rub the shoulders that were now shaking as the fit intensified.

Bo was unable to reply as his body tensed and released, then tensed again with the almost instantaneous next sneeze. "_EhKshhh!! KESHHH!! Hah-KESHH!! KEHT-Chuhhh!!_" He pressed the blue cloth to his nose and tried to take a breath of air but was unable to due to the fact he was sneezing almost every other second. He reached out blindly for the door, trying to get it open so he could get inside and away from the air that was causing his misery.

Luke realized what his cousin was trying to do and opened the door for him. He then gently guided Bo inside then closed the door behind them. Bo was now groping his way towards the living room and the small air conditioner in one window that provided relatively cleaner air. He knew that if he stood in front of it, his sneezing would lessen. The small unit was always on, for it was easier to leave it running than to constantly turn it on and off all the time.

Luke took Bo's hand and guided him to the chair placed right by the unit. The chair had been relocated there when it had become apparent that Bo would be sitting there quite often. Bo was still sneezing harshly and it took a moment for the fresh air to kick in on Bo's tortured nose. When the fit finally slowed, Bo realized that Luke had perched on the arm of the chair and was still rubbing his back, speaking softly to soothe him. Bo took a deep breath and shuddered thorough a giant sigh.

Luke was watching him with concern. "Bless you. Feeling better now?" When the blond head nodded he moved from his perch to take a more comfortable seat on the couch.

Bo raised the bandana and blew his nose harshly, then turned the cloth and blew again. He felt like he had just been put through a marathon. He sagged wearily against the back of the chair and closed his eyes while resting one hand on his forehead. "That was horrible," he said with a weak voice.

Luke started to respond but the sound of approaching footsteps made him halt what he was about to say. The sound was then followed by his uncle entering the room, his arms full of old books that he had obviously brought down from the attic. Luke jumped up and went to take some of the books. Jessie followed Luke into the room and put them down on the coffee table as Luke did the same.

"Was that you I heard, Bo?" He asked while raking his eyes over the youngest of his nephews. "It had to have been," he answered himself. "I don't think I've heard Luke sneeze more than twice. God bless." He sat in the other chair in the room, opposite the sofa and picked up one of the books to examine it.

Bo ran his hand down his face and rubbed at his eyes which were still watering and itching. "Thanks."

Jessie put the first book down and picked up a second one. "So what did Doc Applebee have to say?"

Bo scrubbed at his nose with one of the dry spots on the bandana. He glanced over to where Luke was sitting, picking up books and handing them one at a time to Jessie. "Well, he said there wasn't nuttin he could do except a series of shots, which, according to him were both expensive and not fully guaranteed to work." Bo shrugged, and tried to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. "He says I have got to learn to live with it."

Luke picked up another one of the dusty books and frowned as he tried to make out the title on it. The leather bound volume was thickly coated with years of built up grime. Luke turned away from Bo and blew lightly on the cover, scattering the dust away from his cousin. He still managed to get a bit of it and coughed, then waved a hand in front of his face as his nose protested the invasion of years of dirt. "_IHHHEshhooo!! HIHTChsssh!!_" The sneezes were short and harsh and there were only two of them.

Jessie smirked. "God bless. Told ya there was never more than two."

Luke rubbed his nose against his sleeve. "Thanks." He turned his attention back to Bo and resumed the previous conversation as he handed the now slightly cleaner book back to his uncle. "There wasn't anything he could do? Nothing else he could give you?"

Bo simply shook his head.

Jessie looked over the book Luke had handed him. He opened it and thumbed through it for a moment, then put it in the pile to give away. He then looked from Luke to Bo and his gaze stopped there. "Did he say how much them shots were gonna cost?"

The blond head shook again. "No, just said I would have to go twice a week for about 6 months, maybe more depending on how well the shots work and what I'm allergic to."

Jessie's face took on a thoughtful expression. "Would you mind taking the shots?"

Bo had expected this. He shook his head, knowing already what his uncle was up to. "Well, no, but-"

"No buts." Jessie interrupted. "Now I want you to-"

They never got to find out exactly what Jessie wanted Bo to do as the CB in the corner of the room crackled on. "This is Rosco P. Coltrane to any of the Dukes. Y'all got your ears on?" The greeting was unlike his normal one, and it sounded very urgent.

Being the closest one, Luke got up and picked up the mike. "You got us on the homestead, Rosco. What's up?"

"Luke, is that you?" Rosco started to say but then continued without waiting for an answer. "No, matter. You need to get to the Boars Nest immediately." The voice now took on a panicked note. Rosco usually only sounded like this if someone was in real danger.

"Rosco, calm down." Luke said while watching the faces of his cousin and uncle. Both were wearing the same expression of impending doom and Bo was already standing, ready to bolt, should need arise. "Now tell us what's wrong."

"It's on fire! The whole building's on fire. En Boss and Daisy are trapped inside!" Rosco's voice now hit a new high note. "They couldn't get out!"

Luke didn't even wait to hear any more. He dropped the mike and literally flew right out the door with Bo on his heels. It was a good thing he had finished tightening the bolts on the General before going inside. With one hand he slammed the hood closed and with the other he knocked the tools to the ground. With a grace he didn't realize he had, he slid into the window and started the car even before Bo was fully sitting in the passenger seat. The car took off in a spray of dirt, grass and dust.

As they spun away from the farm, Luke picked up the CB mike and radioed the Fire Department. "This is Lost Sheep to the Hazzard Fire Department." When they answered, he relayed the information, and was relieved to hear they were already en route. He also found out that Rosco and Enos were on the scene as well.

Still Luke pressed the pedal to the floor and drove like his own behind was on fire. He was going to break new speed records for getting to the Boars Nest. He knew that it wouldn't take long for the fire to rage out of control and minutes were all that Boss and Daisy had.

He chanced a look at Bo and saw his cousin was as white as a sheet. "It will be okay, Bo." He tried to sound reassuring, but he felt the panic he was feeling was being conveyed instead. "She'll be fine."

Bo didn't say anything but kept his hands pressed tightly against the dash, as if by doing so he could make the car go even faster. His own panic settled in his chest and he felt like he was being smothered. He took a deep breath and said a silent prayer that they would get there in time.

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	3. The Fire

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Daisy had been in the back room of the Boars Nest serving Boss Hogg one of his mint juleps when the fire had started. She had heard the crash of something glass breaking and then the screams of "FIRE, FIRE!"

The very next thing she was aware of was the whole room in front of her going up like a torch as all the alcohol ignited. She had automatically slammed the door shut and turned to Boss Hogg, who was watching her with a panicked expression on his face.

The air in the room was heating up quickly and she knew they had only minutes to get to safety before the fire either entered the room, or the smoke did. Being brought up on a farm, she had been taught fire safety alongside her cousins. The dry hay in the barn was prone to catch fire, and all the Dukes had always drilled on fire escape routes.

The first thing Daisy did after realizing they wouldn't be getting out the door was to assess the room for any other escape routes. There were windows, but they were shut and the glass was the double safety kind that Boss used to deter people from breaking in. It was not going to be easy for her to break them alone.

She realized they were trapped and would have to await a rescue. The second thing she did was to push Boss Hogg down to the floor even as he sputtered to her. She gave him a look that commanded his attention and hollered at him. "Stay down! The cleaner air will be down towards the floor!"

There was a small sink in the corner of the office and Daisy then grabbed the towel she had been using to wipe up spills. With a strength she didn't realize she had, she tore it in two pieces and ran to the sink. She soaked them, then went to Boss Hogg and grabbed one of his chubby hands and forced the towel into it.

"Put this over your mouth and nose and breathe through it!" She ordered, while doing the same for herself. "If you don't you will be dead from smoke inhalation in minutes!" She was relieved to see him comply.

They could both hear the flames right outside the door and realized that it wouldn't take long for the dry wood of this place to be eaten up. Daisy continued to scan the room for anything she could use to break the glass on the windows.

Her eyes fell on different objects in the room but none of them would be strong enough to break the glass, or they would be to heavy for her to lift alone. Boss Hogg was now whimpering on the floor and she realized that he wouldn't be much help. He had already reached the panicked stage.

With time running out on her, she picked up a rather large paperweight and began slamming it against the window. It created a spider web of cracks in the glass but the window held. She tried again and again, trying to force the cracks into breaks, then had to stop to drop to the floor to get a breath of cleaner air. The room was now becoming more like a sauna as the heat from the fire outside now flooded the room. Boss Hogg was still on the floor, sweating like a stuck pig and his skin was beginning to match the color of his white suit.

"Boss!" she yelled at him. "We need to break that window! I need your help!" She pointed towards the window she had been working on. "It's our only way out!"

He nodded towards her but didn't make any moves. "We're gonna die!" He moaned. "Those windows were designed to be unbreakable!" He then broke out in a fit of coughing.

Daisy pressed her own cloth to her face as she realized that without his help, she was trapped with him. With the room getting hotter, the flames right outside the door, and smoke now pouring in through the cracks, they didn't have much time left.

She was already feeling light-headed. She bit her lip and picked up the paperweight and went back to the window, and resumed her slamming. This had to work, this had to. They had no other choice.

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The normal fifteen minute drive to the Boars Nest was shortened down to four minutes as the General literally flew there. When they arrived and slammed the car into park, both boys nearly had their hearts stopped at the sight. The building was engulfed in eight foot high flames.

Both boys had slid out of the windows and had grabbed the fire extinguishers from the trunk of the General that Luke had opened. Not that the little things would do anything against that large blaze.

The fire department was already on scene and spraying the building down, trying to get the flames low enough to get their men inside.

Rosco and Enos were standing by the fire truck arguing with the captain, but when they saw the Dukes, they raced right over. "They are in the back!" Rosco yelled over the roar of the flames. "They are preparing a rescue team now!"

Luke looked to where Enos was staring at a group of firemen all suited up to enter the building. The trouble was, the Hazzard Fire Department wasn't all that well trained, seeing how there was less than three fires per year in Hazzard.

"We don't have time to wait for them!" he yelled back and raced around the back of the building. Bo nodded and said, "Wait here, guys!" then took off after his cousin.

When they got around the back of the building they saw the flames eating at the dry wood. Luke spotted the spider web of cracks on the window and realized that someone inside must have made them. "In there!" he yelled and pointed. He pulled the pin on his fire extinguisher and began to spray the foam on the flames eating away at the window. The thick smoke coming off the building had both boys coughing and their eyes watering madly.

Bo waited a moment then added his own to the blaze. In minutes they had the flames controlled enough for Bo to approach the window and attempt to break it. He kicked at the stubborn glass with one booted foot. He was rewarded with it breaking. Another kick had it shattering. He stuck his head in the window and saw Daisy passed out on the floor right next to Boss Hogg.

He pulled his head out. "They are in here and they are unconscious!" Bo then slid in the empty window. The fumes inside were worse than outside. He pulled his shirt off and wrapped it around his face to help keep the noxious fumes away. By the time he was down on the floor the firemen had joined Luke.

One slid in the window and helped Bo raise Boss Hogg up and handed him out the window where he was carried to safety. Bo then grabbed Daisy who was just barely hanging on to consciousness. "You'll be alright," he told her, his voice muffled by the cloth covering his face.

The fireman jumped out the window and was preparing to take Daisy from him when the roof chose that time to collapse. Bo heard the splintering just before it fell and slid himself and Daisy under the pool table in the center of the room. He covered her slender body with his own.

Luke was watching outside as the roof caved in. "BO!" he yelled as three firemen held him back from racing to the rescue. "I gotta help him!" he yelled at them. "BO! DAISY!!" He tried to free himself but found that he was being forcibly dragged from the scene.

Bo waited until the crashing stopped before taking a moment to assess their current situation. The pool table was covered in flaming bits of the roof. The smoke in the room was thick and black. He could barely see a foot in front of his face.

The only thing going in his favor for the moment was his allergies were not acting up. Surprising seeing how smoke was definitely one of the things he was allergic to. He looked at Daisy's soot covered face and touched it gently. "I'll get you out." It was more wishful thinking now than ever before.

She nodded once then lost consciousness completely having been inside way too long. Bo felt his own hold slipping as he coughed from the smoke invading his system. He felt dizzy, and sick. With his last bit of strength, he kicked at the flaming boards lying against the pool table. A few of them fell aside, clearing a space that he could crawl through.

The room was hot, very damn hot, and he felt like all his skin was cooking from the inside out. Just when he thought he was going to pass out completely he felt something ice cold splash against his skin.

Water.

The fire department was spraying the inside of the room with cold water. He grabbed Daisy and crawled in the direction of the spray. If they could get wet, they stood a chance at surviving. The smoke inside made it difficult to find the source. Coughing and choking now, he felt around with one hand until he found a puddle, then rolled Daisy into it. He then rolled himself in the same puddle, knowing the flames would take longer to catch on wet clothing than dry.

His voice had gone by now so he couldn't yell for help. He struggled to raise her body up to the window and pass her to anyone waiting outside. He felt someone take her from him and then reach inside to take his own hand and pull him to safety.

The last conscious thought he had as they laid his body on a stretcher was the fact that he had been inside a burning building, surrounded by smoke and he hadn't sneezed once. Then he passed out completely.

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	4. Diagnosis

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The halls of the Tri-County hospital were silent except for the soft footfalls of the nurses that walked up and down the shiny floors.

The waiting room was noisy in comparison as the people gathered there paced up and down the small room. Jessie had tired of pacing already, and was now sitting in a chair, his red hat squeezed tightly between his hands. They had been there at least four hours with no word. Coffee cups were sitting half drank on the one table in the center of the room.

Luke had collapsed as well, his head in his hands. The images from the scene flooded over his mind. Daisy being brought out and CPR being performed on her limp body. She had not been breathing at all and her pulse had stopped. Bo being brought out and being placed on a stretcher, his young face covered by an oxygen mask.

Cooter was still pacing, his body still too full of adrenaline to stop. As soon as he had gotten word, he had raced to the Boars Nest to find the building collapsed and Bo being loaded up into an ambulance. He had followed the ambulance to the hospital.

Luke had radioed to Jessie who met them at the Emergency entrance. Boss Hogg had been wheeled in, followed by Daisy, and Bo. Rosco and Enos had arrived with the ambulances and were now in the waiting room too.

The tension in the room was thicker than butter, and everyone was worrying about someone. Rosco had finally broken down and was crying with Enos trying to comfort him. Lulu was sitting in a corner, sobbing into a lace handkerchief.

Finally the door opened and a doctor entered. He looked at the six faces who were all waiting for what was going to be the news that either relieved them of their worry or added to it. He took a deep breath.

"I'm Dr. Harold Davis and I've been assigned to care for your loved ones." He looked at Lulu first. "Are you Mrs. Hogg?" When she nodded, he gave her a slight smile. "Your husband is going to be just fine. He suffered nothing more than smoke inhalation, and a slight scorching of the lungs."

Rosco sagged wearily into the seat and began to cry tears of relief while Lulu stood up, wiping her eyes. "Can I see him?"

Dr. Davis nodded. "Certainly. He's in room 104 and he's asking for you and his brother-in-law, Rosco. We will be keeping him overnight for observation."

Rosco stood and took Lulu's arm. He didn't leave yet, waiting to hear the news on the Dukes.

Dr. Davis then turned to Jessie. "Mr. Duke?"

Jessie swallowed his fear. "Yes."

Luke felt his stomach clench up and he was ready to bolt from the room, but he forced himself to stay calm. Whatever it was, they would handle it. He reached one hand over to Jessie who squeezed his gently.

"I'm sure you know the prolonged effects to fire pretty well. Beauregard Duke suffered some first degree burns to his face, arms and neck. He also suffered some thermal damage to his airway and lungs from breathing the hot air and smoke. He is on injections of a Bronchodilator to help ease his breathing. He is stable right now but unconscious."

Jessie swallowed, and nodded. "And Daisy?"

The whole room took in a collective breath and waited.

Dr. Davis looked from one face to the next. "Daisy Duke is in critical care. She suffered second degree burns on her face, arms, and legs. Her lungs were burned pretty badly. She has the same thermal damage that Beauregard has but also has pulmonary irritation and asphyxiation. There is likely to be some damage to her neurological system as well. We don't know the full extent of the damage just yet. She is undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy to saturate her tissues with pure oxygen right now."

Luke swallowed his first response which was to break down and sob. He had to appear strong for his uncle.

Dr. Davis then sighed. "I'm sorry, y'all. We will do the best we can for her."

"I know you will," Jessie said. "Thank you for all you have done already."

"Would you like to see Beauregard?" Dr. Davis asked. "He may not be conscious yet, but he is sure to know you are there."

Jessie nodded. "Can I see Daisy as well?"

The doctor shook his head. "Not until she comes out of the chamber and into the ICU. Then we will allow you to visit for a short time."

"Alright." Jessie said. "Which room is Bo in?"

"Room 103." Dr. Davis said.

Cooter went and took a seat next to Enos. "Me and Enos will stay here for a bit, while y'all go visiting."

Enos removed his hat. "I'm sorry about Daisy, Mr. Duke." His eyes were welling up with tears. "I'll say a prayer for her."

"Thank you." Jessie said and followed Lulu, Rosco, Luke and Dr. Davis out the door.

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	5. The Visits

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Lulu and Rosco entered Boss's room to find him propped up in the bed, an IV dripping fluids into one arm. He was pale and weak, but conscious. They had removed the oxygen mask from his face an hour ago. "Lulu," he rasped and held out one hand.

She took it and sat in the chair next to his bed. "You're gonna be fine, J.D."

Rosco approached the bed with his hat in his hands. "That's right, Boss. The doctor says you will make a full recovery. He wants you to stay overnight though."

Boss sighed and lay back into the hospital pillows. "How did they get me out?"

"It was the Duke boys, they got you out." Rosco informed him. "Bo's in the room next to you. He's still unconscious though."

Boss face screwed up and tears started to drip from his eyes. Lulu picked up a corner of the blanket and wiped them away. "What is it? What's wrong, hunnybunny?"

"I thought I was gonna die, Lulu, my sweet. I swear I saw my life flashing right before my eyes at the end, and the only thing I could think of was 'why aren't those Duke boys here to save me?' After all Daisy was there with me." Tears continued to drip down his round cheeks. "Turns out they did save me."

Rosco nodded. "Yes, they did."

Boss took a sharp sniff in. "You haven't told me about Daisy. How is Daisy?" He remembered what she had done for him to help him survive.

Rosco swallowed and Lulu gripped his hand tighter. "She's in critical condition." Lulu finally told him. "They don't know the extent of her damage yet."

A long slow sigh was heard from the hospital bed. "Do me one favor, Lulu."

"Anything, J.D. Just tell me and I'll do it." Lulu was now close to crying again.

"I want you to go to the hospital director and have him send the bill for the Dukes to me." He closed his eyes now, knowing how expensive this was bound to be. "The whole thing for Bo and Daisy."

"Are you sure, Boss?" Rosco asked, also realizing how costly the treatment was going to be.

"Yes."

"Alright, J.D. honey, I'll set it up right away." Lulu leaned over and kissed the top of his head. "Now I want you to get some sleep, okay? We will come back to visit you later."

She got up to leave, and Rosco started to follow but stopped when he heard his name being called. "Yes, Boss?" He came back to the bed and looked down at the man laying there.

"Tell the Dukes for me that I'm really grateful for what they've done. Tell them that Daisy is in my prayers." He looked to Rosco with complete sincerity in his eyes. Rosco had never seen his brother-in-law look so meaningful in his life.

"I'll do that, Boss."

"Thank you." The eyes slid closed again and Rosco left the room with Lulu in tow.

----------

In the room next door, Jessie was sitting at Bo's bedside, holding one of Bo's hands while Luke held the other. Thin plastic tubing was placed in Bo's nose and trailed over his ears to be hooked to an oxygen tank at the bedside. He also had an IV drip and another tube snaked down his leg to be hooked to a bag for waste disposal. That one was covered by the many blankets on the bed. A machine was hooked to wires that tracked his heartbeat and respiration. His skin was reddened on the places where clothing hadn't covered it.

Jessie reached his free hand up to brush the sandy blond hair away from Bo's forehead to place a soft kiss there. "We are proud of you, Bo. So proud of what you did today."

Bo's eyelids fluttered but did not open.

Luke wiped away a tear in his eye. "You did it, Cuz. You saved Daisy and Boss Hogg. When you wake up, I'm gonna give you a big hug, because you deserve it."

The visit was cut short by a nurse entering the room. "Mr. Duke, I'm sorry to interrupt, but your niece has just been brought to ICU. I was told that you wanted to know immediately."

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you." Jessie said with a polite nod.

She turned and left the room and Jessie nodded towards Luke. "Why don't you stay with him whilst I go check on Daisy."

"Sure thing, Uncle Jessie."

Jessie gave Bo's hand a small squeeze before getting up. "I'll be back, Bo. You just rest up until you are ready to wake. I love you, Bo." He smiled and left the room.

Luke sighed and rested his head on his cousin's chest. He listened to the sound of Bo's raspy breathing and his steady heartbeat. "Bo Duke, I know you can hear me." He waited a minute then sighed. "You are a very brave man, for jumping right in that building. I really am proud of you, little cousin."

Again Bo's eyelids fluttered but stayed closed.

Luke squeezed Bo's hand gently. "I'm gonna stay right here until you wake. I want the first thing you see to be me."

He let out another sigh, and closed his eyes. The morning had been exhausting, and he had been running on adrenaline ever since finding out about the fire and then Bo getting caught in the building. His supply was now depleted and he fell fast into a sound sleep, being soothed by his cousin's rhythmic heartbeat.

----------

Jessie found Daisy's room pretty easily, but when he walked inside he was not prepared for the sight that greeted him. Her arms and legs were wrapped in bandages, and more wires snaked out from her body than had been on Bo. She was on pure oxygen, an IV, a catheter, heart machines, a machine to regulate her breathing, one to check her temperature, and she was being given medication through a second IV in her other hand.

"Oh Daisy," he said with tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Daisy."

Holding her hand for now would be out of the question, as both were stuck with the IV needles. He did reach over and stroke a bare spot on her cheek. On the way over here, the doctor had told him she was going to be kept unconscious for a while, as the nature of her burns was very painful. One of the medications was a painkiller, and it would just make her drowsy anyway.

"I'm proud of all you did, Daisy. You were very brave and you did enough to help Boss Hogg survive." He wiped away one tear. "I'm going to see that you get better, Daisy. I'll be with you every step of the way."

He sat in the chair next to her bed. "Luke is here too, he's in the other room down the hall with Bo. Now don't you go worryin about Bo any, as he's gonna be fine too." He reached over and stroked her soft brown hair. He could see the burns on her face now and he sighed. The doctor had told him that she would not be scarred at all, but she would have to wait a long while before she could even consider makeup again.

"Have I ever told you just how beautiful you are? You look just like your momma, Daisy, and she was a beautiful woman too."

He now closed his eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks that she had even made it this far. With nothing but the machinery to keep him company, Jessie Duke sat and prayed for the full recovery of his niece. He loved her like she had been his own daughter.

Nurses passed outside but none bothered the old man, who had eyes right now for the girl in the bed. It was as if he had been granted some serenity in this hectic day. So he sat and prayed and kept watch for as long as they would let him.

----------


	6. Awakening

__

_----------_

_The flames were licking at his boots, melting the leather to his skin and making him scream with pain. Then his clothes caught fire and he could smell the cloth burning, hear his flesh sizzling, and the pain was getting worse. _

_He would not leave Daisy though. He was going to protect her even if it cost him his life. The flames were now working their way up his back, setting his shirt on fire, and his arms stung with the pain of it. _

_He couldn't move, he was paralyzed from the pain. _

"_No, you are NOT getting Daisy!" he yelled, not really sure who he was yelling at. "I'm giving my life for her!" _

_His hair was now on fire and the stink of burning hair filled the room even as the flames loomed closer and closer and...._

"NOOOOOOO!" He yelled out as he bolted awake. His eyes flashed open and the first thing he was aware of was that he was not in the Boars Nest anymore. He was in a hospital bed, and the air blowing on him was cold.

Very cold.

The second thing he became aware of was the cold air and the oxygen tubes blowing air right up in his nose was making it tickle something fierce. He was too week to fight the coming sneezes, so he let them out. "_HahChuhh!! Heh-Keshhh!_" The force of them caused him to yell out again as his burned lungs protested.

Luke ran out of the bathroom upon hearing the commotion, still zipping his jeans. "Bo? What's wrong?"

Bo's face scrunched up and he tried to hold back this one, but it was impossible. "_KEHT-chhhhh!_" He yelled out again afterwards.

Luke pressed the button that would call the nurse. "Bo, it's okay, I've got the nurse coming." He held Bo's hand even as his cousin continued to try to fight the sneezes assaulting his body.

The door opened up within moments and the pretty young nurse came in. "What's wrong?" She took one look at Bo's pained expression and watched him sneeze then yell out in pain. "Oh you poor dear." She stepped over to the bed and turned the oxygen off, then removed the tubes from his face.

"Are you supposed to be doing that?" Luke asked, not sure what exactly was going on.

She nodded. "It was in his chart, that when he wakes, the oxygen was to be removed." She looked over to where Bo was now sniffling weakly. "He's obviously awake now." She smiled at him. "I'm going to get the Doctor now and he will get you something for the pain, okay?"

Bo nodded, but didn't try to speak.

With a quick flip of her hair, she turned and left the room.

Bo sniffed again, and locked his blue eyes with his cousin. Luke felt like he had just aged ten years in the past few minutes.

"You are gonna be alright, Bo." Luke said and squeezed the hand he was holding tight. "You just have some heat damage to your lungs as well as a pretty bad sunburn, and that's what's causing your pain."

Bo nodded and tried to speak, but his throat and mouth were dry. "Water," he rasped and coughed.

Luke let go of the hand and poured a small cup from the pitcher on the nightstand. He helped Bo sit up and take a few small sips of it, then laid his cousin back down. "Feeling better?"

Bo shook his head and twitched his nose. "Need to... sne- snee-"his sentence was cut off as he took in a deep breath.

Luke grabbed a few of the napkins off the table that held the pitcher and brought them to Bo's nose. "Go right ahead, Cuz. I've got you." He put one hand behind Bo's back to brace him as he sat up and sneezed harshly.

"_Heh-HEKT-chuhhh! Heh-eh, KHET-chssshhh!! Hah-Hahchuhh!!_" The pain was immense and he moaned from it. The force of them left him weak and drained.

"Done?" Luke asked.

Bo nodded.

Luke wiped Bo's nose lightly. "Bless you, Bo. Now blow gently." He had turned the napkins over and Bo complied, blowing weakly at first and then a bit harder, until the tickles in his nose diminished.

Luke tossed the napkins away and came back to the bed. "Want another drink?"

Bo shook his head. "I'm fine, thanks." His eyes slid closed as he tried to summon up enough strength to talk. He took a deep breath and felt the pain it caused. He released it slowly and opened his eyes. "Where is Boss and Daisy?"

Luke sat in the chair again. "Well, Boss is in the room right next door. He's got to stay overnight for observation, but he's gonna be just fine."

Bo nodded weakly. "And Daisy?"

"She's in the room down the hall. Jessie is with her right now." He swallowed thickly, not sure how much more he should tell Bo.

Dr. Davis saved the day as he entered the room and began checking Bo over. It took a few minutes in which he asked Bo many questions about how much pain he was in, and what caused him the most pain. When he was done, he had prescribed a light painkiller and a sedative so Bo could sleep.

After the Doctor left, Bo sighed. "You never did tell me."

Luke frowned. "Tell you what?"

"What condition Daisy is in." Bo could tell Luke was keeping something from him, and he had a scary feeling he knew what it was.

Luke perched on the edge of Bo's bed and ruffled his hair like he used to do when they were little. "Bo, she's in the ICU. Her burns are a little bit deeper than yours are, and that's only because she was in the fire longer. She also inhaled a bit more smoke than you did."

Bo bit his lip. "But she's gonna be fine, right?"

Luke nodded. "Of course. They are keeping her asleep for the time being as her burns would hurt way more than yours would." Jessie had checked in with Luke a few times before Bo had woken and had updated him on Daisy's condition.

Bo's eyes slid shut and he had to fight back his tears. He hadn't been fast enough. Daisy had gotten hurt. "Thank you, Luke," he managed to say.

"For what?"

"Telling me the truth."

Luke gave his cousin's hand a small squeeze. "You deserve the truth. I'm very proud of you, Bo." He then leaned over and gave him a big hug. "You might not remember, but I promised you a hug when you woke as I am very proud of what you did."

"I just did what was right, Luke."

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm proud of ya."

The nurse knocked on the door and then entered carrying a small tray with two cups containing pills. "Alright boys. It's time for Bo here to take his meds and then a nap."

Bo looked the young woman over and smiled. "Oh I'm gonna like this room service." He winked at the nurse. "Am I going to get a sponge bath too?"

Luke rolled his eyes. Leave it to Bo to find something to like about being laid up in a hospital. He looked the nurse over and had to admit that Bo was right.

She handed him the cups. "Not tonight, farm boy. Maybe tomorrow if you are well behaved and take your nap."

Bo swallowed the pills down with the water in the other cup she handed him. She then pulled his blankets back up and tucked them under his chin. "Sweet dreams." She picked up the tray and left.

Luke was smirking. "Why do I have the feeling that you are going to be using that nurse call button quite a bit tonight?"

Bo rolled over and pretended to fall asleep. "I don't know what you are talking about. I'm going to sleep like a good boy, so please turn the lights out when you leave."

Luke laughed, patted Bo's rump lightly. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Get some rest and I'll be back to see you tomorrow. Try not to keep her busy all night."

"Night, Cuz." Bo yawned.

"Night, Bo." Luke replied and turned the lights off as he left the room.

----------


	7. Enos Visits Daisy

----------

The very next day, Boss Hogg was released from the hospital and four days later, Bo was allowed to go as well. The only person left still at Tri-Counties was Daisy.

Dr. Davis had allowed her to wake after the third day, but the painkillers she was on still made her groggy and tired. It would be at least another two weeks before she could even think about going home. The doctors had to make sure that her burns were not going to get infected and that the damage to her neurological system was minimal at best.

She had been moved out of ICU and into a regular room on the fifth day. That's when the flowers and cards started to arrive from well-wishers. She was also granted the privileges of regular visitors. At least once a day, Jessie showed up, or Luke.

On the seventh day, she got a special visitor. She had just woken up and was adjusting the blankets on the bed when a knock came on the door.

"Come in." she called out.

Enos entered, his hat held in between his hands. "Hi, Miss Daisy. I sure hope I'm not bothering y'all."

Her whole face lit up with a smile. "No, Enos, you're not. I'm really glad you stopped by."

He stood at the side of her bed, at a surprised expression crossed his face. "You are?"

"Yes, Enos. Why don't you sit down for a bit?" She looked at the chair by her bedside.

He followed her gaze and sat, nervously twitching his hat. "How are you feeling today?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm pretty tired of being stuck in this hospital. I wish they would allow me to go home." Her brown eyes filled with tears. She was tired of being poked and prodded and tested. "I miss the farm, Enos." One tear slipped from her eye and she made to wipe it away, but Enos was quicker. He took out his handkerchief and very tenderly wiped it away for her.

"That's understandable, Miss Daisy. No one likes hospitals for long. I'm sure you won't be in here much longer. You seem to be on the mend right quick." He let his fingers linger a second to long on her cheek, then blushed a deep scarlet red. "Sorry."

Daisy reached up and touched his hand. "Don't you ever be sorry, Enos. I like it when you show you care."

He gulped and tried not to blush again. "You do?"

She nodded, "I do." This seemed to make Enos even more nervous and Daisy had to laugh lightly. "Enos, will you stop twitching like that? It's no secret that you have feelings for me. I decided two days ago that I was given a new chance to live and this time I wasn't going to take it for granted."

Enos found it suddenly hard to swallow. "You know how I feel?"

She nodded. "I think I do, but you know something?"

"What?"

"I'd really like it if you just came out and told me." She raised one hand slowly to touch the side of his face. "Don't be afraid to tell me what is in your heart, Enos."

He gulped again and his eyes caught hers. "Well, It's like this, Miss Daisy."

"Yes?" She held her gaze steady until he stopped fidgeting. The longer she looked at him, the more confidence he seemed to get.

He placed his hat down on the chair behind him, and took one of her hands in his. "I really do fancy you, Miss Daisy. I've always fancied you, ever since we've been little kids."

Daisy smiled. "I've always fancied you, Enos." She licked her lips slowly. "Thank you for finally telling me."

He brought his face closer to hers. "I thought we were gonna lose you in the fire. It really scared me."

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." She raised her head up to meet his, their lips were just inches apart now. "Not without giving you a much needed chance to tell me how you really feel."

He lowered his mouth down and their lips just barely brushed each other when the door to her room opened with a cheery, "Hey, Daisy!" from a very excited Bo.

Enos seemed as if he had just been goosed and he jumped nearly three feet in the air before landing awkwardly back in the chair and onto his hat. He stood up and picked it up, slipping right back into his nervous mode. "Oh, Hi, Bo. I was, um, just checking on, ah, how Daisy was doing."

Bo looked from Daisy to Enos and realized that he had just interrupted something very important. He flushed lightly. "Uh, maybe I should come back later?"

Daisy shook her head, knowing the moment was now lost. "It's okay, Bo."

Enos nodded. "I gotta get back on duty anyway. I'll stop by and see you again later, Miss Daisy."

"Alright, Sugar. You do that. Oh and thank you for all the lovely flowers." She pointed at a table that held the very pretty bouquets that he had sent her alone. There was one for each day she had been in the hospital. "That's really sweet of you."

"You're welcome." He smiled at her, and then flushed. "I'll see y'all. Take care, Bo." He fumbled awkwardly until he got to the door and left.

Bo strolled over to her bed and gave her a gentle hug, being very careful of her arms that were now lightly bandaged. "Hi, sweet stuff. How are you feeling?" This was his first visit to her room

since he had been released.

"Oh, I've seen better days, how about you?"

"I'm doing quite well, I'm glad to be out of this place." He brought a hand up and rubbed his nose gently. He hadn't been paying attention when he had walked in the room and didn't really notice all the flowers sitting about. "You know, I think Enos has a thing for you."

She winked at him. "I know he does. I think all of Hazzard County knows."

Bo had to laugh at that. "You ever gonna tell him you fancy him?" His nose was beginning to twitch now and he rubbed it again.

"Well I was in the process of doing just that when you burst in my door." She sighed dramatically. "Another chance lost."

Now it was Bo's turn to feel awkward. "Oh, Daisy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" He paused to sniff away a tickle. "I really didn't know you had company."

She waved a hand at him. "Don't worry about it. We can pick it back up later."

The tickle was now intensifying and Bo finally took his eyes off Daisy to look around the room and see just what was making him feel like he was about to sneeze. He saw the flowers and his face fell.

Daisy noticed. "What's wrong, Bo?"

His breath hitched in his chest and he brought his fist up under his nose. "I just –" he didn't get a chance to finish as he had to turn away to keep from sneezing on her. "_Heh-HEKT-chuhhh! Eh-he-KISSHh!!_" He looked around for something he could use and spied Enos' handkerchief on the side table where he had left it. He panted into his fist and pointed, "May I?" before sneezing harshly again. "_KHET-Chuuhhh!! ESHIsshhh!!_"

Daisy nodded and watched him unfold the white square to cover his nose and mouth. He blew his nose once, and then again, trying to clear it enough to talk. "Dang flowers," he managed to get out before his eyes slammed closed and he sneezed again. "_HehhheChIshhh!!_"

"Bless you, Bo. Maybe you better go."

His eyes were watering now, and he found it difficult to breathe. "I'm sorry," he paused to sneeze again, this time his nose stayed buried in the hanky. "_HEKT-CHIssshh! Eh-Heh-EhhShooo!!_"

"It's okay, Bo. I understand. Go, now before it gets worse." She now felt miserable for what Bo was feeling.

He nodded, and gave her hand a small squeeze. "Get better soon." He managed to say before sneezing again. "_HEKT-Chuhhh!_"

He then turned and practically ran from the room and into the nearby men's room. It took a few minutes of him washing his face and blowing his nose before the sneezing actually died down. He sighed and headed for the exit, feeling even more miserable than ever. He couldn't even visit Daisy without breaking out in a sneezing fit.

----------


	8. Boss Hogg's Offer

* * *

For the next two weeks, Bo took his frustrations dealing with his allergies out on his chores. It seemed that the more he tried to take Dr. Applebee's advice and learn to live with them, the more frustrated he got. He was unable to visit Daisy, as it would be very unfair to her to ask that all the flowers be removed from the room just so he could spend a few minutes with her.

He also had problems dealing with the fact that every time he went out with Luke anywhere, he would spend a good part of the time in misery, sniffling, sneezing and blowing his nose until it was red. There were just too many things he was allergic to.

So he spent most of his time on the farm, either in his room, or holed up in the loft of the barn. He missed being able to tear around the town in the General, playing cat and mouse with Rosco.

That was another thing. Rosco had been leaving them alone as of late, not coming by to harass them for some half-baked scheme of Boss Hogg's. It seemed as if since the fire, he had been dropped into an episode of the Twilight Zone. Nothing just seemed right.

He climbed up to the loft and kicked at a bale of hay. If this was how his life was going to be from now on, he wasn't sure if he could live it. It was a boring existence, and he craved excitement or at least a trip to town every now and then.

He plopped down at the edge of the loft and looked out as the sun set. He could see pretty far from up here.

Luke had followed Bo into the barn; he had been meaning to talk to his younger cousin for a while now. He also had some good news that he wanted to share. He climbed up to the loft and watched the angry young man. He sighed and went to take a seat next to Bo.

"Beautiful, ain't it?"

Bo looked up at Luke then back down. He brought his legs up and wrapped his arms around them. "I guess." He rested his chin on his knees.

"I know something's bothering you, Bo. Wanna talk?" Luke let his legs dangle over the edge of the loft.

Bo shook his head.

"You sure? It's not good for you to keep it all bottled up inside. It'll eat away at you." Luke picked up a strand of hay and played with it for a few moments before breaking it in two. "I'm a good listener."

"It's just..." Bo started, then unwrapped his arms and made a fist with one hand. He looked for something to hit but couldn't find anything. He swallowed his anger and tried to relax. "I hate this."

"Hate what?"

"This. Being stuck here. Unable to do anything."

Luke nodded realizing what was bothering his cousin. "You mean the allergies."

The blond head nodded. "Yeah. Those."

Luke sighed. "Have you talked to Jessie about getting the shots? Maybe there is some way he can arrange payments to Dr. Applebee or something."

Bo sighed and turned away from Luke. "I can't ask him to do that. Six months of shots is bound to be very expensive. We sometimes barely have enough money to make the mortgage payment on the farm. I can't jeopardize that because I want a few shots."

Luke looked at the hunched over shoulders now sitting in front of him. "I'd help you earn the money if you want. We could go find some odd chores around town."

Bo's head popped up and he turned around. "No, I'm not going to ask you to tie up the next six months of your life for me."

"Why not?" Luke looked confused. "You're my kin and I hate to see you sufferin like this."

"It's my problem, not yours and I'll have to be the one to figure something out." Bo stated adamantly. "I'm not going to disrupt all our lives over this."

Luke placed one hand on Bo's shoulder. "In case you haven't noticed, it's already disrupted. When was the last time we went out together and you enjoyed yourself? Did you even know that Boss Hogg is rebuilding the Boars Nest and installing a fancy new sprinkler system inside?"

Bo shook his head. "Is he really?"

"Yeah." Luke laughed. "And about 20 or so fire extinguishers. He's taking no chances."

Bo had to grin at that. "It seems like something Boss would do."

"I've got some more good news for you too." Luke said with a twinkle in his eye.

"What?"

"Daisy is coming home tomorrow."

"Really?" Bo's grin grew wider.

"Yep, Dr. Davis cleared her for dismissal tomorrow. He says there is no lingering damage from the fire. Her burns have healed enough and she's allowed to come home." Luke told Bo with a smile on his own face. "It'll be good to have her back."

"Yeah it will, that is good news."

Both boys were then startled to see Rosco's car pulling up to the farm. "I wonder what he wants," Bo said and both of them climbed down from the loft to meet the sheriff.

Rosco met them halfway across the yard. Luke stepped in front of Bo and put his hands up. "I don't know what you want with us this time, Rosco, but you can rest assured that we have been on the farm the whole day so whatever scheme you are dreaming up isn't going to work."

"Can't a guy just make a social call?" Rosco asked, as he stood his ground.

"You wouldn't know what a social call is, Rosco," Bo piped up.

"You hush, Bo Duke. Actually there is a reason I'm here."

"I knew it," Luke said and stepped away from the sheriff. "Bo, come on, he can chase us if he wants to play that bad." He stated walking towards the General Lee.

Bo had to hide a smirk. "Is that what you want? To chase us and give us another ticket? Why don't you save us the trouble and the gas and just find something we did here and write us up on it?"

"Now wait a minute, is that what you think I always do?" Rosco said, sounding chagrined.

"Yeah," both boys answered in unison and Luke stopped walking. He turned around. "What is it you want, Rosco?"

"It's not me, really, it's Boss Hogg. He wants to see you boys down at the Commissioner's Office." Rosco then turned and walked away, pushing past the boys and heading for the squad car. "He didn't tell me to write you up, or cuff ya and stuff ya and drag you in. He just told me to come down here and tell you he wanted to see you."

Bo frowned. "That's not like him at all. Is he feeling okay?"

Rosco pivoted in place to face Bo. "I'm not sure. I've been worried about him since the fire. He hasn't been acting like his normal greedy self."

Luke looked over to Bo, "That doesn't sound good at all, Cuz. Let's go down there and see what he wants. Maybe then we can get to the bottom of what ever it is that is bugging ol Boss."

"You gonna chase us there?" Bo asked eyeing Rosco suspiciously.

Rosco shook his head. "Sorry, boys. My orders were to tell you and not to chase you."

Both cousins now stared blankly at Rosco. "Something sure is wrong with the Boss. He would never say that," Bo said softly. "Let's go." He climbed in the window of the General as Luke started it up.

The last image they had of the farm was Rosco standing by his squad car, his hat in his hands, his head hanging down. Whatever was going on around Hazzard had the sheriff very worried.

* * *

They walked into the Commissioner's Office to find the high-backed chair that Boss Hogg usually sat in, facing the wall. Wisps of white cigar smoke drifted towards the ceiling.

Luke gave Bo a shrug. "You wanted to see us, Boss?"

The chair slowly turned around to show them Boss Hogg, decked out in his normal white three-piece suit, and his Stetson hat. He was smoking a cigar, worrying the end of it between his teeth. "Yes, I did."

Bo knew already that the cigar smoke was not going to be good for him, so he stayed behind Luke and as far away from the desk as he could.

"Well, what did you want?" Luke asked.

"For starters, I wanted to see Bo Duke." He tried to peer around Luke's body. "Why you hidin behind him, Bo?"

Bo moved over a step until he could see Boss. "I ain't hidin."

"Good, good. I wanted to see your face and thank you personal for saving my life." Boss Hogg declared with his trademark smile. The one he always used when he wanted something.

Bo was not about to fall for it. "I just did what I was brought up to do." His nose twitched and he tried to ignore it. "You've already thanked us by paying the hospital bill, so I guess that makes us even."

Boss shook his head. "No, no, no. I paid the bill, because it was my establishment that got you injured." He took a puff of the cigar and blew it out towards the ceiling.

Luke nodded. "I get it, you want us to tell you we ain't gonna sue you. That's it, isn't it?" He elbowed his cousin lightly in the ribs. "You're afraid that if we sue, we might win."

Boss Hogg's eyes widened in mock outrage. "Why the thought never even crossed my mind."

Bo shook his head, wanting nothing more than to get out of the office. "Yeah, and chickens don't lay eggs either. Just come clean with us, Boss. Tell us what you want so we can get going." He tossed his cousin a knowing look as he tried to rub under his nose with the back of his hand.

Luke acknowledged him with a slight nod. "Boss, we ain't stupid, so stop playing like we are."

Boss chomped down on the cigar harder. "Alright. You boys want it like that, then that's how we'll do it."

"About time," Bo muttered, and rubbed at his nose again. The smoke was turning a small tickle into a fierce one. He patted his pockets and realized that he didn't bring anything. He caught Luke's eyes and raised one eyebrow. Luke shook his head, he didn't think to grab anything either. Bo closed his eyes and tried to breathe shallow.

"Bo and Luke I want you to wave any rights you or your cousin Daisy might have to suing me or the Boars Nest in exchange for the lien on your car to be considered null and void and all mortgage payments on the farm to now be considered paid in full." He then stared at the boys as if waiting for them to deny what he considered to be a most generous offer.

Luke's eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he looked at Bo's astonished face. The General Lee and the Duke farm paid in full? "Now wait a minute," Luke piped up after finding his voice again. "Can we get this in writing?"

"Certainly," Boss said graciously. "I had the standard contract already drawn up earlier today." He pointed towards a stack of papers sitting in a neat pile on the desk. He made smoke rings with the cigar as he seemed very pleased with himself.

Bo's nose couldn't take it anymore. His breath hitched and he turned away from the desk to sneeze into his cupped hand. "_HahChuhh!_"

"Gesundheit." Boss said.

"Thanks," Bo replied and wiped his hand discretely on his jeans. "How about we run this," he paused as his breath hitched again. His eyes closed of their own accord and he brought his hand up to stifle the coming sneezes. "_hehChisshh!! Heh-KEHTChoo!!_"

"Gesundheit again." Boss was now staring at Bo. "Run this where?"

Bo was panting now into his fist. "By- Uncle- _heh, _Uncle-"he realized he wasn't going to be able to finish the sentence until he sneezed the tickle out. "_hehKHETIssshh!!_" He turned away from the desk and leaned on the doorframe, determined to get the sneezes out. "_EhhShoooo! Hah-Hachchuuhh!!_" He winced slightly at that one. His lungs still hurt if the sneezes were big or harsh and that one was both.

Luke put one hand on Bo's shoulder. "Bless you." He turned his attention back to Boss Hogg. "What he's trying to say is we have to run your," he frowned down at the papers, "your proposal by Uncle Jessie seeing as how it's his farm."

Boss was now ignoring the papers and watching Bo. "Are you okay, Bo?"

Bo shook his head as he felt another large sneeze gaining ground on his lungs. He bent over as it forced it's way out of his system. "_HEH-EKHTisssshhh!!_" He nearly fell over with it. "Gotta get, _eh-heh, _get out-, _EHISHHHahhh!! _Outside." He was now beyond simple talking and his nose was running all over the place.

"My goodness!" Boss exclaimed and waved them towards the door. "Get him outside then."

Luke grabbed Bo's arm and hauled his cousin out into the fresh night air. Bo continued to sneeze in doubles and triples. Luke had Bo lean against the car while he ran back into the building and looked for a men's room. He knew one way to get Bo to stop was to get him to blow his nose. He found one and went inside to find out that there was no paper on the roll and the paper towels were gone. The women's room was no better off.

He passed Boss Hogg who was coming out of his office to see if Bo was doing any better. Luke stopped him. "Do you have a hanky or some tissues or something?"

Boss nodded and grabbed a tissue box from on top of a filing cabinet. "Here." He followed Luke out of the office and over to where Bo was now sitting on the hood of the General Lee, sneezing every few seconds.

Luke pulled a few of the tissues out and handed them to Bo. After his next sneeze he blew his nose a few times then sighed with relief. It took quite a few tissues to get his nose clear and being outside and away from the cigar smoke helped. He rested one weary hand on his forehead and moaned quietly. Now his head hurt.

Luke glared at Boss. "Happy now?"

"What did I do?" Boss looked surprised.

"It's your cigar," the elder Duke boy advised him. "He's allergic to the smoke."

"Allergies? Bo Duke has allergies?" Boss said and quirked an eyebrow at the younger cousin. "Why didn't you just get Dr. Applebee's shots?"

Bo's head shot up. "How did you know about that?"

Boss Hogg looked from his cigar to where Bo was staring at him. He tossed the cigar to the ground and stepped on it to put it out. "Well, they worked on me. I used to have terrible allergies when I was much younger. Dr. Applebee treated me and I haven't had an allergic reaction since."

"We can't afford the treatment," Bo said and glared at Boss Hogg. "Now if you are done with us, we'd like to go back home now. I'll tell Uncle Jessie about what you offered us, and we will let you know what he says."

"Wait!" Boss said and ran up to Luke. "How about if I re-write the contract to include the shots Bo needs for free?"

Luke's head spun over to look at Bo with such a speed that it actually made a cracking noise. He reached up to rub it.

Bo nodded. "You do that. We still have to talk to Uncle Jessie, but I'm sure we could get him to see reason in your contract." Bo then took a few more of the tissues and blew his nose again before handing the box back to Boss Hogg.

"No, you keep them, you might need them."

Bo nodded. "Thanks." He then walked around and climbed into the General Lee as Luke did the same. "We will let you know."

Boss nodded. "I'll get the contract written up including the new clause."

Luke waved and hit the Dixie horn as they sped off into the evening twilight.

* * *


	9. Jessie's Reply

----------

Jessie wasn't too pleased to hear what the boys had been offered. They had sat down in the living room and discussed it, but the expression on Jessie's face was more one of suspicion.

"So you say he wants to consider the mortgage on this here farm paid in full?"

Bo nodded. "Completely. And the lien on the General paid off as well."

Jessie rubbed one hand across his whiskered chin. "Does either of you boys know just how much there is left to pay on this farm?"

Two heads, one blond and one dark shook in a negative expression.

"Thirty thousand." Jessie informed them quietly. "And another two thousand on the car."

Luke was sipping a beer which he now nearly choked on. Bo came over and patted his cousin on the back until he could breathe again.

"Easy, Luke, take it easy." Bo said then looked at his uncle. "Thirty-two thousand dollars just written off? I wonder how much he thinks we will get if we sue?"

"Probably way more than that," Luke said upon recovering his voice. "Don't forget he's already paid the hospital bill for Bo and Daisy. That alone was another ... what? Six thousand?" He frowned as he tried to remember.

"Seven." Jessie said. "The hospital bill is almost seven thousand now."

All three Dukes sat in silence for a moment, then Bo sighed. "He's even offered to put in a clause that allows me to go for Dr. Applebee's shots for as long as I need them."

An expression of surprise flitted across Jessie's face. "Now how the heck did you get that written in there?"

Luke grinned. "Quite by accident, really." He looked over to Bo who nodded that it was okay to tell. "Bo had a sneezing attack from his cigar smoke in his office."

Jessie chuckled. "That musta really impressed him. Did you know he used to have allergies when he as a kid?"

They nodded. "He told us when he was younger he had bad allergies but Doc Applebee's shots really helped him."

"Bad allergies was one way to put it," Jessie said as he thought back to the past. "He suffered worse than you, Bo. All the kids used to tease him something mighty fierce. He could hardly step outside without ending up curled up in a fit. I remember times when he never made it to school and I had to bring him his homework, and help him with it."

Bo had to try not to laugh. The image of his uncle bringing a young J.D. Hogg his homework while the young boy sneezed up a storm was just too much. "If the shots worked on him, then they can work on me."

Jessie nodded. "Yes, I do believe they can."

"So what are we going to do?" Luke asked. "Accept his offer or sue?"

Jessie waited a few minutes while he thought it over. He looked at the young faces in front of him and thought about Daisy who was coming home tomorrow. If they sued, they possibly would get way more than what Boss Hogg was offering them. Juries liked to give large amounts of money for pain and suffering. "I know what you boys are thinking."

"You do?" they chorused.

Jessie nodded. "It ain't right to profit from an accident. In my opinion, that's exactly what happened at the Boars Nest. It was an unfortunate accident that in no way puts any blame on J.D."

"So we should accept the offer he's already made?" Luke said, looking a tad confused.

"He's being more than generous, in my book." Jessie said quietly. "I want the farm paid off as bad as anyone, but this doesn't seem the way to do it."

"It's not like he can't afford it," Bo chimed in. "And it will finally give us some money to live on."'

Jessie brought his gaze up to rest sternly on Bo. "Have I brought you up with no morals, boy? This is about what is right or wrong, not what he can or can't afford."

"Yes, sir." Bo said and brought his eyes down, ashamed slightly.

"Give me some time to think on it," Jessie said at last. "And I want to talk to Daisy to see how she feels on this as it affects her too."

"Yes, sir." They both said realizing the discussion was at an end for the night.

"Now you boys go get ready for bed. I've got some thinking to do." Jessie ordered them and got up himself. "We can all go see J.D. tomorrow afternoon when I've made a decision."

He then left the room, leaving the boys alone with their confused expressions and thoughts.

----------

Later that night when both boys were in bed, Bo rolled over toward the bed that held his cousin. "Luke? You asleep yet?"

"No." the reply was quiet. "I can't sleep."

"Neither can I," Bo admitted. "I keep thinking over what Uncle Jessie said." He sat up and turned on the small lamp sitting on the table between the beds. "What do you think is the right thing to do?"

Luke sat up as well and folded the covers down to rest on his lap. "I don't know. If it was me, I'd take the offer as it's made. We don't need to sue him and make it worse. Yeah, we might get more money, but what good is money when you've lost a friendship? People might think us to be the greedy ones if we sue him."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Bo said with a small smile. "Whether he likes it or not, Boss Hogg is our friend. And friends don't sue friends. Could you think of the things that could happen if we win? Rosco would be on his side, of course and then we'd lose his friendship too. I don't even want to think about Enos."

"Yeah, it's hard to tell which side he's on when things are going normal."

"Speaking of Enos, did you know I caught him at the hospital almost kissing Daisy?" Bo said with a smile. "It was a couple weeks ago and he was there when I showed up. Unfortunately I opened the door before they did."

Luke let out a full laugh. "Are you sure that it was unfortunate? Maybe it was lucky you opened the door when you did."

"Well, Daisy didn't seem too happy that I came barging in. She does fancy him, you know." He shifted the blanket laying across his lap. "If she marries him would that make him our cousin-in-law?" He rubbed absently at his nose with one hand. Moving the blanket had kicked up some dust that had settled in the room during the day.

"Well, he definitely would be related then. He's not a bad person, you know. She could do so much worse." Luke reached over to the table between them and pulled a few tissues out of the box to pass to Bo. "Here, you're gonna need these."

Bo frowned, "No I'm not." Then rubbed at his nose again.

"Yes, you are. I can see the dust particles dancing in the moonlight, now take them."

Bo was about to argue again, when he felt the familiar tickle start up. He rolled his eyes heavenward and took the tissues. "_Hah-Keshhh! Hatchuuhh!!_" The double sneeze was enough to clear his nose and he blew it softly before tossing the tissues in the garbage pail between them.

"Bless you." The blessing came complete with an I-told-you-so smirk.

"Thanks." The gratitude was followed with an expression that said plainly, I-hate-it-when-you-are-right.

Luke smiled again. "You gonna be okay tonight?"

Bo nodded. "I'm fine. No big fits pending." He sighed feeling a bit melancholy. "I sure hope Uncle Jessie at least allows Boss to have me get the shots. It sure would be nice to be able to live a normal life again."

"Yeah, I hear ya there, cousin. Well even if he don't, I'm sure we will find a way. Don't give up hope on those shots just yet." He slid back under his covers. "I'm gonna turn in. Night, Bo."

Bo reached over and turned out the light. "Yeah, me too. Good night, Luke."

----------

(Author's Note: This will be updated with the end really soon!! Keep checking back and see what happens next!)


	10. Daisy's Homecoming

* * *

Daisy's homecoming was met with happy smiles, and lots of hugs. Jessie had insisted that he be the one to bring her home. He left in the morning while both boys were busy doing their chores. When he returned hours later, he found that Bo and Luke had decorated the sitting room with balloons and a homemade banner that read 'Welcome Home Daisy' in big letters.

She looked pleased to be finally released from the hospital and Luke helped her bring in her things.

Bo was very surprised to find the back of his Uncle's pickup truck empty. He had been expecting Daisy to bring home all her baskets of flowers. He had even prepared by taking the one medication that he knew worked, even though it left him drowsy as heck.

Daisy had seen Bo's astonished gaze and had laughed. "I gave them to some of the other patients there, Bo. I know how miserable they make you, and I wasn't going to put you through that. Besides, it made me feel good to brighten up someone else's day with them." She had giggled and put one hand on his arm to lead him inside. "Did you know some of those people never have visitors?"

Bo shook his head. "No, really? Well I'm glad, Daisy. You are always so giving to others."

They had feasted on a delicious lunch that Luke had taken the time to prepare while Bo had hung the banner and blew up the balloons. After lunch they gathered in the sitting room to discuss what Bo had been waiting all day to hear, Boss Hogg's offer.

Daisy sat quietly while it was all explained to her and from the look on her face, it was clear that she had not even thought of suing Boss Hogg for what had happened. "I can't believe that he would think we would do that." Her long brown hair flipped over her shoulders as she turned her head from one cousin to the next. "Doesn't he know us better than that?"

"He probably does, Daisy," Luke told her while perching on the arm of her chair. "But you know Boss, he likes to make sure he has everything covered and he does have a point. We could sue him if we wanted to."

Jessie had been sitting quietly, letting the boys do all the talking. He finally sighed. "So, I take it we are all in agreement?" Three younger heads all nodded. "Good. Because I have made my decision."

Bo closed his eyes and took in a breath of air. Here it came, the proclamation of his future.

"We definitely aren't going to sue J.D. for anything. As far as the offer stands, we aren't going to accept it." He paused to see the reactions he got.

Luke looked surprised, Daisy's face registered shock, and Bo just looked defeated. It was clear from the reactions that they had been expecting him to accept what he had termed a 'most generous offer.'

He looked at each of them one at a time, waiting to see who was going to be the first to say something. Daisy didn't. She was the most accepting of the three. Luke sure looked like he wanted to, as he kept licking his lips and opening his mouth, but nothing was coming out.

It was Bo that decided to speak his mind. Jessie had to hide his smile, he knew it would be Bo. Bless that boy's heart, he was always the most outspoken of the three.

"Why not? What is wrong with it?" It was Bo's disappointment more than anything else talking.

Uncle Jessie focused his eyes on Bo, "If you had listened to me you would have heard what I said. I said 'as the offer stands' we aren't gonna accept it."

Bo's brow wrinkled up in confusion. "You lost me."

"Sometimes I wish I could," Jessie muttered in a low voice. He sighed and explained. "It means we are going to make some modifications to the offer and then accept it."

"What kind of modifications?" Luke asked, not quite sure what his uncle had in mind.

"Ones that are right." Jessie said. "You'll all find out when I tell Boss Hogg." He tracked his eyes along the three younger faces as if daring them to ask any more about it. None of them did. "Now I want you all to freshen up. We are going to pay good ol J.D. a courtesy call."

One by one they got up and left the room, with Bo being the last to leave. Jessie almost called him back, as he didn't like to see the boy looking so resigned to a fate that he considered worse than living. However, he knew that boy had to learn to live with life's ups and downs. Sometimes it just wasn't right to take from others when they did nothing wrong. It was this lesson he was planning to teach his kin today.

* * *


	11. Duke vs Hogg

* * *

The atmosphere inside Boss Hogg's office was ripe with tension. The Duke clan had arrived to find Boss Hogg thumbing through a stack of papers that Enos had just dropped off. When he had seen Daisy, he had lost his grip on the stack of them and they had scattered all over the floor.

He had picked them up and tried to place them in some sort of order, until Boss had rolled his eyes at the wayward deputy and ordered him to just place them on the desk. Enos had done so and then had left the office, waving shyly to Daisy who had given him a wave back and blown him a kiss. Which only caused him to walk into the wall, much to the amusement of Bo and Luke who were trying very hard not to snicker.

Boss now had the papers in some sort of order, and he was looking for the correct ones that would get him off the legal hook with the Dukes. If they agreed to sign the papers, then he wouldn't have a thing to worry about.

Daisy had taken a seat in one of the chairs, while Bo and Luke were waiting in the doorway. Jessie was right in front of the desk, leaning forward and doing his best imitation of a grizzly bear while his large hands rested on the varnished surface of the real-wood desk.

When J.D. had seen the Dukes enter, he had immediately put out his cigar and opened up the windows. He now knew the reaction Bo would have and he didn't want a repeat of the incident last night by any stretch of the imagination.

He finally located the papers and placed them before Jessie to read. Jessie took out his reading glasses and perused the tiny print, offering a low grunt every now and then as he read over the proposal for himself. It was exactly as Bo and Luke had said, and it all seemed on the up and up. Too bad he wasn't going to sign it.

Bo watched his uncle reading the papers, and tried to stifle the coming yawns. The medication he had taken earlier in preparation for Daisy's homecoming flowers had finally kicked in and he was feeling rather drowsy. He had to keep shaking his head to keep from nodding off and falling asleep on his feet. All he wanted right now was for Jessie to make his pitch so they could go home and he could find someplace soft to lay his head.

Luke had to nudge his cousin more than once just to keep him awake. He couldn't really blame Bo for taking the medication, as his cousin was only trying to do the right thing. He just wished that it didn't have such a profound effect on Bo.

Jessie now finished with the papers and put them down on the desk. He then folded up his reading glasses and placed them in the pocket of his overalls. He looked up to where J.D. was waiting, the expectation of an approval written all over his chubby cheeks.

Jessie cleared his throat and Bo jumped slightly, again on the verge of falling asleep. He blinked and rubbed his eyes as his uncle spoke.

"That's all done up nice, J.D. and very legal."

J.D. smiled broadly, "So that means you are gonna sign it, right?"

"No."

The effect of that one word on J.D. Hogg was almost comical. The grin literally slid off his face to be replaced by a very large frown. "What do you mean by that?" He picked up the papers for himself and squinted at the tiny print, hoping to see what had discouraged the Duke patriach from accepting the offer.

"I mean, it's a generous offer, but we can't accept it." Jessie steeled his face until it looked like chiseled stone.

"Oh, I get it, you want more? How much more?" Hogg asked grumpily. He should have guessed that the offer was too low.

It was at this point that the tension reached its maximum level as everyone in the room locked eyes on Jessie Duke. His next words were the most awaited of the day. Even Bo stood a bit straighter.

"J.D. Hogg, first let me tell you that the incident at the Boars Nest was a bunch of circumstances beyond your control. I have no doubt that you did not start the fire, nor did you pay anyone to start the fire." He kept his tone low and even. "To think that you really believe that we might sue you even after all we've done for you really hurts. Now you know I value kin over anything else, and friendships come a close second." He locked eyes with the commissioner and said softly, "You may not believe it for one second, J.D. but you are one of our friends."

Boss Hogg swallowed slowly, and didn't blink once. It was as if Jessie Duke's speech had held him captive and he was unable to break the spell being woven.

"Now, I will not deny that your establishment was poorly equipped to deal with a fire, in so much as there were only two fire extinguishers in the whole place and no sprinklers. The only thing you are negligent in is the foresight to plan for emergencies." Jessie picked up the papers again and flipped through them. "As much as I'd like for the farm to be paid off, this is not the way to do it." He tossed the papers back down again and chanced a look around to his niece and nephews.

Daisy looked proud, and so did Luke. Only Bo's face showed a hint of disappointment which he tried really hard to vanquish from his face. Jessie turned back to the short man still waiting for a final answer.

"J.D, I will tell you this. You did the right thing by paying for the hospital bills. Daisy and Bo did the right thing by saving your life. That makes us even on that ground."

The smile started coming back to Boss Hogg's face in the tiniest bit, he realized he was going to get away cheaper than he had thought possible.

"However, I will not deny these here boys and my niece some compensation for the pain and suffering they have had to endure. I know already that a jury trial would indeed make us wealthy to a degree. Juries love pain and suffering, but I'm not going to do that. What I am going to ask for, and I want this written up before anything is signed and sealed, is three things."

Boss gulped and began to sweat. This was it... the hardball was being thrown.

"First off, you will indeed consider the General Lee paid in full. No more liens and no more hassles. That car will legally belong to those boys standing behind me. Got that?" He didn't move so much as an inch while staring down his longtime moonshine running compadre. He could hear the relieved exhale of Luke right behind him.

"I got it." Boss said slowly. That was two thousand for sure. Petty cash really. "What else?"

"Second of all, I want you to give Daisy there a three dollar an hour raise once the Boars Nest officially reopens. That is non-negotiable, J.D. in any way. Seeing how she has worked so hard for you for so long and getting paid so little, it's only fair." He paused a moment then waited for Hogg to open his mouth and then quickly added. "An no more docking her pay for any reason, no matter what it is."

Boss Hogg's mouth clicked shut and he nodded. Paying the farm off would have been cheaper. Raising Daisy's wages would definitely amount to a lot of money heading towards the Dukes. He sighed and nodded. "And lastly?"

"Lastly, I want you to put in that clause that states that Bo can get his shots from Doc Applebee for his allergies for as long as he needs. I want the whole thing covered, from the doctor visits to the shots and any prescriptions related to the allergies that he may need. Inhaling all that smoke while saving your hide didn't help them much and may have damaged his lungs even more." He paused and could almost hear Bo's excited grin behind him.

Boss Hogg nodded. "If I do those three things, and put it in writing, you will sign the papers saying you won't sue?"

Jessie nodded at last. "Then we will sign, but not until then and not before I have read them." He started to turn away and lead his kin out the door, but turned back to add, "And for goodness sake, put it in larger print. I wouldn't want to have to write my signature in the same small print and make people wonder if I'd even signed it at all."

Then he turned back and led his brood out the door of the city hall, leaving J.D. Hogg standing there wondering who had just taken whom for the ride.

* * *


	12. Celebration

* * *

The ride back to the farm was filled with yeehaw's and yahoo's galore. Luke was driving while Jessie and Daisy sat in the back of the General and Bo sat in the passenger seat. Bo was no longer sleepy, as his adrenaline had kicked in and he was too giddy to be drowsy.

"That was great, Uncle Jessie," Bo said happily. "You should have been a lawyer."

"I wouldn't be no good at that, Bo. I just know a little back porch country law." Jessie answered and looked over to Daisy. "What did you think?"

"I think I love you even more!" She announced and gave him a hug, snuggling into his bear-like embrace. "I would never have thought of having him raise my wages. Totally brilliant move."

Luke hit the Dixie horn and smiled. "Oh General you are OURS now." He had to laugh as Bo leaned forward to kiss the dash.

"Anyone up to celebrating?" Jessie asked, happy for once to see his charges all in a good mood. He hoped that all three of them had picked up something important today. You didn't sue friends, but you didn't let them walk all over you either. He had kept the respect the Dukes were famous for and had made their lives a little bit easier to boot. True, he still had the mortgage on the farm, but now it would be a little easier to pay for it now that some of their financial strain had been lifted.

"You bet!" came the three expected responses.

Bo reached for the CB. "Lost sheep to Crazy Cooter. You got your ears on?"

"Breaker one, breaker one, I may be crazy but I ain't dumb. Crazy Cooter comin at ya. What's up Bo?" came back the expect response.

"Come on up to the farm and bring some of the cold stuff with ya," Bo said cheerily. "There's gonna be a party at the Duke farm toooonight!"

"Can I bring some of the guys too?" Cooter asked already knowing what the response would be.

"Sure, bring em all. Brody, Dobro, Charlie, whomever. The Dukes are flying high tonight." Bo wasn't sure if he was giddy from the medication or just plain happy that his troubles with his allergies were almost over.

"What's the occasion?" Cooter decided to ask.

Luke took the mic and pressed the button. "Let's just say the Dukes have a new freedom and leave it at that."

"Alright then, I'll get the word out. Crazy Cooter is out and gone." He signed off and Luke hung up the CB mic.

The rest of the ride was as carefree as the Dukes had ever been.

* * *

By three thirty in the morning the party was over and the last of the guests had left. Jessie had turned in an hour ago and Daisy had followed suit. The party had moved to the barn until the last of the guests had partied out and gone back to their farms, either being helped home if they were too drunk to drive or by being the driver.

Bo and Luke had quickly picked up all the discarded beer bottles and cans, all the snack bags of food and other party debris. One thing they were proud of was the fact that the Dukes could throw a party without wasting a house.

Bo, however, felt like he had been the one wasted. He realized that he had a little too much to drink, but his spirits had been high and he had no reason not to indulge himself just this once. Legal drinking age in Hazzard was 18 and he was past that by a full year and a half now.

Luke tied up the last bag of trash and took it outside to the cans. When he returned back inside he saw his cousin practically passed out on the sofa. "Bo? Hey Bo!" he called out trying to rouse the other boy.

Bo cracked one sleepy eye open and looked at Luke. "Hey, Cuz. How come there are two of you there?" His head rolled slightly as he spoke.

"There are two of me, because there is one of you that doesn't know when you've had enough to drink." Luke quipped. "Come on to bed, Bo. You need to get to sleep or you are gonna have one heck of a hangover in the morning." He went over to help Bo stand.

Bo managed to get upright but then stumbled and landed face first on the coffee table. His hand hit the ashtray in the center of it and sent the contents into the air. "Oops."

Bo had been feeling so good tonight, from the combination of the medicine, Jessie's news and the beer that he had almost forgotten that he had allergies at all. The medication had worked so well, that even the party-goers smoking hadn't bothered him one bit.

Until now. He realized that the medication had worn off sometime after two in the morning when his head had started feeling clogged, but the beer was still doing its job and keeping him blissfully happy. However, once the ashtray had been spilled, it was time to face the consequences.

The ashes scattered into the air and all over Bo's face. With a grimace and a groan, his nose seized up and protested the invasion. "_Heh-KHET-Chissshh!_" The sudden sneeze blew more ashes into the air. Bo tried to wave them away from his face. "_Hah-Chuhhh! KESHHH!! EhKshhhh!_"

Luke rubbed at his own face wearily. Leave it to Bo to make going to bed a production. He hauled his sneezing cousin off the table and away from the ashtray. Slinging one arm of the toasted boy over his shoulder he led Bo towards the bedroom. He managed to get Bo into the room, stopping only a few times for Bo to sneeze harshly on the way.

He lay his cousin down on his bed, and removed the younger boy's boots. Bo was still too busy sneezing to notice. "_ehKisssh! Hah-KEshhh!! Heh-eh-KESHoooo!_" He was trying hard to cover his face, but his hands wouldn't cooperate with his beer-soaked brain. He ended up sneezing all over Luke.

Luke rolled his eyes heavenward. "Is this a punishment for something?" Luke reached up to the tissue box and pulled a few out to press against Bo's nose. "Blow."

Bo made a half-hearted effort to empty his nose. Luke then sat closer on the bed and held his cousin in place like he was nothing more than a child with a bad cold. "I said blow," he told the other boy and this time Bo did better.

It took a few tries before Bo finally calmed down from his attack enough to fall right to sleep. His head had barely hit the pillow before he was out like a light. Luke got up off the bed, disposed of the tissues then pulled the covers up and over the sleeping boy. "Goodnight, Bo." He ruffled the blond head slightly. "Sleep well."

It wasn't long before he changed and climbed into bed himself. He already knew that once morning came, Bo would have the mother of all hangovers to greet the sunny day. Chuckling to himself lightly, he rolled over and fell asleep.

* * *

(More to come soon, the story isn't over yet!!!)


End file.
